It Takes a Village to Raise an Anthropologist
by forensicsfan
Summary: Booth and the Squints are Brennan's village on her journey to learn to follow her heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from the. I do, however, enjoy bringing them out from time to time to play with them.

**Author's Note:** I had an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. And as often happens, now I'm compelled to pen a new story. The premise is the scene in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" where Booth asks Brennan to be his village, to be an influence on Parker. It occurred to me that Booth and the Squints are Brennan's village and in a sense, they've helped raise her by helping her to relate and learn to acknowledge that she can love and be loved. So I'm starting here with the exchange that inspired the idea in the first place and future installments will hopefully be dropped like little breadcrumbs that you'll want to gobble up and follow until we reach our conclusion. So I hope you enjoy.

* * *

He needed caffeine. All of this drama in the suburbs was wearing him out, that and the fact that Parker was taking it upon himself to ask every woman he worked if they would be his dad's girlfriend was too much. He was nine, way too young to be concerned about his dad's sex life. Actually, Booth considered, Parker was never going to be old enough as far as he was concerned to question him about his sex life. He glanced over at his partner, who walked with him out of the elevator. "It takes a village, Bones."

Brennan seemed confused. "Uh, I-beg your pardon?"

Of course he had to start speaking in the middle of his thought. He started over to clarify what in the world he was talking about as they wove through the bullpen. "A village, to raise a kid properly, you know, it takes a village."

This was a rather anthropological observation and she was pleased that her influence had brushed off onto him, even if it wasn't exactly precise. "Metaphorically, it doesn't mean we all must grow up in hamlets of eight hundred people or less."

They walked into the small kitchenette around the corner from Booth's office to get some coffee.

He was probably putting way too much sugar in his coffee, but he thought he might just need the sugar as much as the caffeine. He looked at Bones with a pleading expression. "Will you be my village?"

She was skeptical as to his reasoning. He worked too much, he didn't seem to have a social life, and he'd mentioned that Parker was way too preoccupied with why he didn't have a girlfriend. Clearly he didn't feel like he could do this on his own and she was his friend. She should offer her help. "You want to know if I'll help you fool your son into thinking your life is gratifying?"

He looked at her expectantly as if a negative answer would deflate him. "Yeah, will you do it?"

She was willing to help, but had no idea how one person could be an entire village to someone else's child. Her eyes widened. "Well, h-How?"

Booth's relief was palpable and he smiled at her, his worry about his son lifting a little for the first time in days. "Come to dinner with us, have fun, laugh at my jokes." He didn't even want to begin think about the implications of what all of that looked like, what that sounded like.

Brennan smiled brightly and stirred her coffee. "That might actually turn out to _be_ fun, thus becoming a self-fulfilling desire." She could do all of those things, but she still might have to have Booth explain his jokes now and then.

He just wanted to clarify that she was agreeing to what he thought she was agreeing to. "Right. So, you'll do it?"

She smiled conspiratorially as they walked towards his office. "Yes, I will be your hamlet of eight hundred people or less."

He inwardly rolled his eyes at her anthropological mumbo jumbo "My village."

She smiled bumped her arm against his. "I was being amusing. You should laugh at my jokes too."

He could tell that she thought she was being funny when she clearly wasn't. "I'm laughing on the inside." He was definitely going to need more coffee before the day was over.

* * *

Booth was enjoying a nice big chocolate shake and wondering how in the world he was going to get the face paint that Angela had put on Parkers face all the way off before he dropped him off at Rebecca's in a few hours. Despite the face paint, he couldn't have asked for better company - Bones next to him and his son across the table from him - he couldn't help but smile as he whispered to his partner. "This is fun, isn't it fun?"

Brennan seemed very relaxed as she enjoyed a healthy meal in contrast to the shakes the Booth boys were eating. "Yes, I'm having fun, is he?"

He let out a soft chuckle and whispered back. "Bones, you can ask him yourself."

She leaned over the table a little and addressed Parker. "Hey, are you having fun?"

Parker wondered why grownups were so worried about whether everyone was having fun. Didn't they know that you just did stuff you liked and that was fun? "Milkshakes are fun and I'm having a milkshake, so yeah I'm having fun."

She was pleased that this being Booth's village was working out so well. "That's an excellent syllogism."

The younger Booth looked a little confused. "She thinks I'm silly?"

Brennan glanced over at her partner in her own confusion. "What's wrong?"

Parker interjected. "He needs a girlfriend."

Brennan was curious why Parker thought so. "Well, why doesn't he have one?"

Parker scrunched down in his seat and took a long sip from his milkshake. "I don't know, that's another thing we can't talk about until I have hair under my arms."

Booth was starting to squirm in his own seat. He certainly did not want to be having this conversation with Bones in the room. "Hey, I got a good idea, what do you say we all go bowling and get outta here?"

Parker ignored his dad and looked right at Bones. She sure was pretty. "Couldn't you be his girlfriend?"

Booth felt his insides take a nosedive. He definitely did _not_ need this right now. "Buddy, you really gotta quit that."

Brennan shook her head in answer to Parker. "That would be inappropriate."

Parker wasn't sure what inappropriate was, but it sounded like a 'no'. "Why?"

She had to consider just how to say this without hurting Booth's feelings or insulting his alpha male tendencies. "Because…we work together." It was true, he had drawn that line and she respected it.

Parker sort of snorted out a pint-sized laugh, his honesty coming through loud and clear. "That's a stupid reason."

Booth whispered trying to hide the panic welling up. "You know what, Bones, I'm really not comfortable with the questions that you're asking."

She had sincerity in her eyes as she whispered back. "Booth, could you maybe trust me for a second? Trust that I can say the right thing? In the time that I've been with you, I've learned a lot about how to deal with people." She thought he seemed to accept her reasoning and she turned to Parker. "Your father is very, very good with people."

Parker's didn't think that he was as good as she thought he was with people if he couldn't do this one thing. "Then why doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

Booth really wished that he had insisted that they leave and go bowling and maybe if he intervened right now he'd have a chance to salvage the rest of the day without any more inquiries into his sex life. "And we're off, and..." One look from Bones and his rant stopped in its tracks. "Okay, alright, alright." She had asked him to trust her and he'd barely given her a chance. He really felt like an ass.

Brennan turned back to Parker. "Can I ask you a question?" She continued after Parker nodded. "Why do you think your father needs a girlfriend so much?"

He should have gone with his gut. Damn he should have gone with his gut, but no, one look from those soft blue eyes of hers and he couldn't say no. He really should have just listened to his gut and closed his eyes. "Okay Bones, there's the whole gender parent dealibob thing going on here, your just gonna confuse him..."

Parker didn't see why his dad and Bones were making such a big deal out of this. "So I can have a pool."

Brennan turned to Booth. "He doesn't sound confused."

Was he hearing this correctly? How did his son come to equate him getting a girlfriend with a swimming pool? He just had to ask. "A pool?"

Parker nodded. "Lasky's dad got a pool with his girlfriend."

Booth was trying to remember who Parker was talking about. "What you mean Lasky with the uh, third nostril?"

Parker sounded excited. "Lasky's dad got a girlfriend, then they got married and moved to a house with a pool. Maybe if you got married, you'd move to a house with a pool that I could swim in!" Now that his dad seemed to be getting it, maybe he would start looking for a girlfriend already.

Brennan smirked. "Well he seems extremely clear on _why_ he wants you to get a girlfriend. I don't know why you didn't just ask him."

Booth was a little bewildered that it wasn't as complicated as he'd made it and he was relieved that they weren't going to have to have that talk about the birds and the bees anytime soon. "So the whole reason you wanted me to get a girlfriend was so that you could have a pool?"

Parker's voice had that 'no duh' tone in his voice. "Mmmhmm, why else would I care?"

Brennan realized that she had the perfect solution and worked a key off of her key ring and placed it on the table. "There is a pool in my building the two of you can use as my guests any time."

This day was turning out far better than he thought it would. He was glad that his dad had asked Bones along. Finally, a grownup that could understand what he wanted. "Awesome! That's awesome right Dad?"

Brennan really didn't see what the fuss was all about. "No, not awesome, simple Socratic method of solving a problem."

Booth had a mega-watt grin on his face. He completely agreed with his son as they shared a fist bump. "No, mmm-mmm, Parker's right, you're awesome Bones."

Brennan hadn't thought this village thing would be so easy, but clearly she was a natural. She lifted her glass to toast Parker. "Yeah, I'm awesome. Cheers."


	2. Chapter 2

"Sweetie, you seriously need to get out." Angela had her arms crossed as she stared down her friend who seemed to be spending yet another Friday evening at work rather than out enjoying the nightlife that DC had to offer.

"I'm going out." Brennan answered without looking up and continued to type away. There were a few more reports to finish her preliminary notes on and she had promised her publisher a new chapter to review over the weekend. If Angela was still here, it meant that it was most likely just past five so she had plenty of time.

There was a hint of sarcasm in Angela's voice. "It looks like you're working. Perhaps we need to review what 'going out' means." Her toe tapped impatiently as she considered that her friend was going to miss out on all of those extra things that filled your life out with color. There was a new club she wanted to go to, but it would be far more fun with Bren in tow, well far more interesting anyway.

"It's only five fifteen." Brennan glanced up and offered a soft smile. "I'm getting picked up at seven." She wished not for the first time that day that she'd driven into work this morning, but her car was in the shop because of some squealing noise that the mechanic has said was probably the fan belt, and Booth had offered to pick her up. It only made rational sense that they carpool, especially since she had agreed to go with him to observe one of Parker's pee-wee hockey matches that night as part of her being his village.

"Oh? Date? Anyone hot?" Angela was immediately interested and stopped tapping her toe, choosing to lean in to see if she could get a little more information on whoever Bren's man of the month was. Brennan going on a date was a good thing, not the best thing because if it had been the best thing, that would mean that she'd already woken up from her eternal denial and would have run off and married Booth. Pending that impossibility, a date with someone nice would at least get her out where she'd be interacting with the rest of the world.

"It's not a date." She didn't think that a round or two of child's hockey could be considered a date, especially since she was going with Booth. She and Booth didn't date. They were partners. She was his village and they had a surrogate relationship, that was all.

Angela's excitement faded into a disappointed frown. "It's Friday night. Glug-glug-woo-hoo." If she couldn't grasp the basics, they were never going to make progress on Booth and Brennan's happily ever after. "Please tell me you're not taking in some lecture on the funeral rituals of the Bogo Bogo people."

"I don't believe there are any people groups called the Bogo Bogo." She would know, she was very authoritative about obscure tribal groups.

"They love bargains on shoes, but that isn't the point." Angela inwardly rolled her eyes and made a mental not to drag Bren out to shop for some Jimmy Choo's next week. "Weekends are for social interaction."

"I'm fairly certain that I will be interacting socially. I will be going with Booth to watch Parker play hockey." It had surprised her that the league would have games scheduled so late given the age of the contestants, but Booth had assured her that on a Friday night it wasn't a big deal.

The whole idea that Bren was going with Booth on a decidedly family-oriented outing was far better than any dating scheme she could have come up with. "Ah, baby Booth playing hockey." Clearly Parker wasn't a baby, but how could you resist that cute mini-Booth smile and charm all wrapped up and topped with a blond mop of hair. He was irresistible and she hoped that Bren wouldn't be able to resist the Booth charm from either one of them. This was good. No correction, it was better than good.

"Don't let Parker hear you call him that. He's informed Booth that he's very grown up. Apparently going without a nightlight is a major milestone." At least that's what she'd thought she'd gathered from their lunch in the diner not too long ago.

"Well if he's anything at all like Booth, I bet he cleans the ice with the rest of the players." Angela couldn't hide her smile.

"Of course he's like Booth. I mean, Booth is his father. They share DNA and a similar facial structure." And he probably had gotten his athletic ability because of the physique he'd inherited as well, surely he'd grow up to be structured like Booth, but she had no idea what that had to do with cleaning the ice, she didn't think that was the goal of hockey.

"Of course." Well she wasn't going to be able to drag Bren out tonight, but that wasn't so bad since she was going to be with Booth. At least she wasn't going to be spending the night at the lab.

* * *

"Should they be attempting to skate with that much equipment on?" From Brennan's perspective, it seemed that some of these kids lacked the coordination to walk with the equipment on let alone skate well enough while wearing it to play an entire game of hockey.

"That's why this is the pee-wee league, Bones. A lot of times they're getting stuff handed down from an older brother, they're growing so fast that some families don't want to invest in equipment until they know if the kid is going to even like playing hockey." He found her inquisitive nature endearing and he nudged her with his elbow and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "Parker loves hockey though, just like his old man."

"And I'm sure you're a very good teacher." She truly admired the man sitting next to her and the kind of father he was to Parker and she suddenly felt a tinge of sadness of who her own father had turned out to be and all of the things she had missed out on by not having him in her life for so long.

"I bet I could teach you to play hockey." He grinned at her and it seemed to pull her smile back out.

Her words tumbled out in a giggle. "I can barely stand up on skates. Don't you remember when you made me stay up with you all night to make sure you didn't have a concussion?" It had been worth repeatedly tumbling to the ice just to make sure that he was okay.

"I remember." Booth's smile was warm and he gestured towards the ice. "I think they're finally getting started." This was a great night and he got to spend it watching his favorite sport and spending it with two of his favorite people.

"Does Parker usually get a basket for his team?" Brennan really wanted to know as much as she could so that after that match was over she'd have something to interact with Parker about over hot fudge sundaes.

"It's goal, Bones, and not always. Hockey is a pretty low scoring game." As the game started, he leaned in and tried to explain to her what was going on and what the rules were in between cheering for Parker and loudly expressing his displeasure at the ref's obvious need for glasses.

* * *

"Did you see the goal I made, Bones?" Parker was so excited. Not only had been able to use the slap shot he'd been practicing for like forever, he made his team's only goal and they had won. It couldn't get better than that. Okay, well maybe celebrating afterwards with his dad and Bones with hot fudge sundaes was pretty cool too.

"I _did_ see it, Parker." Brennan smiled. She was very pleased that she seemed to be doing such a good job at being Booth's village, and she was having fun too.

"You did a great job, Bub." Booth was so proud of they way his son had played on the ice. At the moment though he wasn't so proud of the way he was devouring the sundae like he hadn't been fed in three years. Hot fudge smears adorned his face and he was definitely going in the tub before bed tonight.

"Jimmy almost got a goal too, but he slipped at the last minute. I bet he'll get one next time." Parker wished that all of his team could have gotten a goal of their own, but they had won and they could all share that.

"While there is no way to predict the future accurately, it is a very nice sentiment to hope that for your friend." Brennan hoped that what she'd said was okay. A quick glance over at Booth made her doubt that it was - he seemed to have been rendered momentarily speechless. But just as quickly a smile spread across his face and his arm wrapped around her in a quick hug.

"We're glad Bones came tonight, aren't we, Bub?" Booth's eyes twinkled as he looked over at his son who was nodding in agreement while shoving another bite of his sundae in his mouth. And as he looked over at Bones he couldn't help but smile a bit wider, he really was glad she'd come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Okay, so I'm not really following any particular timeline, so parts of this are not going to gel with what has actually happened on the show. If you can forgive that, then I hope you'll keep reading. And just for a point of clarity, at this point, Angela and Hodgins have not resumed their relationship...yet.

* * *

"It would be a remarkable opportunity to expand his awareness of scientific discoveries." Brennan was literally beaming as she explained her idea to Booth. She had only learned of the opportunity a few days before herself and it seemed perfectly natural to invite Booth and Parker to experience it as well.

He was a bit speechless at what Bones was suggesting and it took him a moment before he was able to gather his thoughts. It was just long enough for doubt to flicker across his partner's face. "It's...wow, Bones. All the way in LA?" If it was anyone other than Bones, he would have questioned if they were serious. But this was Bones and she did not offer something without being completely sure.

"It will eventually be on the East Coast, but given that summer is traditionally a school holiday and I understand that there are several child-oriented fun parks nearby, I thought it might be a nice trip." She hoped that her offer to provide a special gift to her village wasn't too much. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched Booth's expression.

"Amusement parks, Bones." He let out a soft chuckle even as he was still processing what she was offering. "Yeah, Parker would be over the moon if I took him to Disneyland."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Do you think he'd prefer space camp? I've heard that one is offered at Cape Canaveral."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand to reassure her before he let it go as he smiled again and looked into her eyes. "No, trust me, he'd prefer Disneyland. And as for the mummy exhibit, wow, he would think that was so cool." Truth was, Booth thought it was pretty cool himself, but he'd never imagined that Bones would offer to fly them all to LA just to see a special traveling mummy exhibit and spring for a trip to Disneyland. All of the reasons that they weren't in a romantic relationship were escaping him just then.

She smiled. "I'll contact my travel agent to make arrangements." She had to admit that she hadn't anticipated getting so much enjoyment out of this village experience that Booth had set in motion.

"I need to talk to Rebecca first." He couldn't believe that he was agreeing to this, but he was not about to turn down an opportunity to take a trip with Bones that had nothing at all to do with work.

"Oh, of course." Her brows pinched together, she had somehow forgotten that Rebecca might have some sort of objection to this outing. It wasn't as if they were just taking Parker to the zoo for the day.

He could tell that she was still uncertain and so he rushed to clarify things. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled, I just need to coordinate the timing of it all. She mentioned something about signing Parker up for a couple of weeks of summer camp." And he needed to make sure that Becks didn't assume that this meant that he and Bones were dating, as much as he really wished that was true.

* * *

"Wait, so you're taking Booth and his son on vacation?" Angela wasn't sure she was hearing this correctly. Could it be that Brennan was slowly pulling her head out of her denial and taking advantage of Agent Hot Stuff? This was Brennan she was talking about, who was she kidding? That was far too much to hope for.

"It is primarily for the purpose of expanding Parker's scientific horizons. We'll be visiting the Mummies of the World exhibit and it is a unique experience that while he may not fully appreciate now will definitely enrich his education." It was perfectly logical and she didn't see why Angela found the idea so surprising.

Angela's foot starting tapping and the smirk on her face clearly indicated that she wasn't buying any of it. "And there's nothing in this for you?"

"Well, I'll admit, I am looking forward the exhibit myself, I mean it is very unique to have that many mummified remains from all over the world in one location, and the director of the exhibit suggested that I may be included in some of the limited scientific inquiry that will take place." It was only natural that as a forensic anthropologist that she would find the idea of mummified remains very exciting.

"Of course." Angela rolled her eyes. "And bringing Booth and Parker along? What is that about?" Apparently she was going to have to be direct if she ever had any hope of finding out what was going on in Brennan's mind, and even then, there was no guarantee she wouldn't need a doctorate and a translator to understand it.

"Oh, I'm his village." Brennan smiled as if that would explain everything.

"His what?" Okay, she had heard women called many things, and village wasn't anywhere on the list.

"His village." Perhaps everyone wasn't as familiar with the concept as she had assumed. "You know, it takes a village to raise a child. I'm Booth's village."

Angela looked delighted with this little piece of information and she raised a single eyebrow in her friend's direction. "Oh, is that what they're calling it these days." These two had reached a completely new level of denial.

"I don't know what that means." She had just finished booking the trip, Booth had arranged things with Rebecca and they were set to leave in a week. If Angela didn't understand what this was all about, perhaps she was going a bit overboard.

"Sweetie." She offered one of her patented patronizing looks that Brennan never seemed to pick up on. "You and Booth do all the things that couples do, well all the things that couples do except for the really fun ones."

"I anticipate that this trip will be very fun." They were partners and very good friends and she enjoyed his company immensely. Surely to expect that she would not have fun would be very unrealistic.

"That's not the fun I'm talking about." Angela silently wondered if Brennan had taken a vow of celibacy herself, or if she had just become delusional.

"Angela, Booth and I are partners, the fun that you are implying I assume is of a sexual nature." And it wasn't as if the idea of her and Booth hadn't ever crossed her mind. Only she and Booth knew how close they'd come to having sex after they'd first met. Other things had just become far more important in her relationship with him over the years to jeopardize it with a sexual fling just to satisfy her curiosity.

"Well at least I know you haven't become a nun." If Bren recognized that sex was fun then there was still hope for making her realize how she and Booth were really meant for each other. Booth was a fine specimen of a man after all, and it wasn't that long ago that Bren had wanted him to father her child. Once the woman made up her mind about something, she rarely changed it, so it had to be sitting there in the back of her mind niggling her with doubt about keeping things so platonic.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist and I'm not religious, I don't know why you would be confused about that." She helped solve crimes with the FBI, if Angela was suffering from some memory issues, perhaps she should see a medical professional.

"No offense, Sweetie, but you're the one who is confused. You and Booth have so much unresolved sexual tension that if you ever did do the deed, I think you might tilt the earth off its axis from the explosion." Well, she had given her another nudge, perhaps once they were on their trip things would just unfold naturally, or maybe Parker would help give them a big shove.

A tiny smile flickered at the corner of Brennan's mouth. "No matter how good the sex would be, I'm fairly certain that the Earth is safe." She had definitely considered what it would be like, but Booth didn't see her that way, he was the one that had put his line in place, besides she didn't want to risk what they already had.

Angela's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. As much as she had pushed Bren towards Booth all of these years, never once had her friend admitted that the possibility was out there. Strains of the Hallelujah Chorus sang through her mind as she considered that there really was hope for these two after all.


End file.
